The invention relates to protective clothing, in particular to clothing which protects against injuries caused by stabbing instruments, cutting instruments, projectiles or splinters, and which consists of multiple layers of flat structures.
Several types of clothing protecting against the effects of stabbing and cutting instruments as well as against projectiles and splinters are described in the prior art. Usually this type of clothing consists of multiple layers, the individual layers often being made from the same material. The use of different materials for the individual layers is however also well-known.
Very often aramide-fibre woven fabrics are used in the individual protective layers, especially for so-called antiballistic protective clothing (clothing which provides protection against projectiles and splinters). one example of this is DE-A 3 426 458, in which a laminate made from such fabrics is described for use in projectile-inhibiting clothing.
Beside this, woven fabrics and other textile flat structures made from high-tenacity polyethylene fibers have been suggested for use in antiballistic protective clothing.
The use of aramide fibers for protection against cuts has also been described. In EP-A 224 425 a special knit construction of aramide fibers combined with a resin finish is discussed for this type of application.
In EP-A 519 359 flat structures consisting of wrapped yarn containing aramide fibers as the core and natural or chemical fibers in the sheath which can easily be dyed or printed, are suggested for the manufacture of stab-, cut-, splinter- and bullet-proof clothing.
In GB-A 2 221 976 an antiballistic helmet is described whose shell is fabricated out of a textile material embedded in a plastic matrix and coated with a thick ceramic layer applied by means of plasma spraying. This document classified as belonging to the area of hard ballistics does not offer any clues to solving the problem of gaining a combination of protection against projectiles and stabbing in soft ballistic protective clothing.
GB-A 1 397 955 discloses a ceramic layer applied using plasma spraying. The material coated is embedded in a plastic matrix. This fiber-plastic composite, which is also classified as belonging to hard ballistics, possesses an antiballistic effect. This document again offers no clue as to how to solve the problem of combining protection against projectiles and against stabbing in soft ballistic protective clothing.
The improvement of clothing providing humans with protection against injury is an on-going task for those concerned with developing this type of clothing. Beside improvements to the effectiveness of the protection provided, a worthwhile goal is above all to improve the comfort of the wearer. Also constantly in demand are approaches mapping out a simpler and cheaper method of manufacturing this type of clothing.
An especially important demand is for antiballistic clothing, i.e., clothing which is to provide protection against projectiles and splinters, to be designed in such a way that this clothing also protects against the effects of stabbing. This demand is voiced in particular by police personnel, who are exposed not only to shots from projectile weapons but also to stabbing attacks.
Clothing affording combined bullet- and stab-protection is already well-known in the art. In EP-A 597 165 a panel formed out of superimposed woven fabrics of high-strength fibers embedded in a matrix resin is suggested for this application. The panel is employed in protective vests in combination with layers of traditional antiballistic woven-fabric layers, chiefly for protecting the breast and back regions.
With this type of protective clothing, as with the already proposed use of metal panels as inserts into protective vests, it cannot be guaranteed that the wearer will have the freedom of movement necessary in a duty situation. Beside their relatively heavy weight, the fact that the vest inserts lack flexibility makes them a great deal less comfortable to wear.
Thus the task of improving this kind of protective clothing still remained to be done, especially as to wearer comfort.